Once upon a time I used to live bang opposite Gelderlandplein. As a new mommy to have Etos and Albert Heijn next door was a blessing. I used to put Bambi in his buggy and off we went to pick up groceries. I was thankful I did not have to lug massive bags across the town with a baby in tow.

Those days there was no Albert doing home delivery. Are we officially old? This week I have narrated too many stories that have begun with, “back in the day.”

Gelderlandplein looks very different now. It sure has a lot more eating joints and not just Ruby, and oh my does Ruby look different now….what a transformation, and they do oriental tapas, now that is a concept, which speaks to me.

One rainy afternoon I met a friend at Saigon Caphe, the Vietnamese joint in Gelderlandplein, for lunch. Nothing beats a hot bowl of pho on a gray dull day and the fun conversation that went with it made it very special. The pho was yum. The fried chicken salad was delicious, however, there was far too much noodles in it and too little salad greens.

We have also ordered home delivery from Saigon Caphe – both Thuisbezorgd and UberEats deliver from the Saigon Caphe in Leidseplein (it is a chain) – prawns, which were absolutely out of this world, spring rolls, chicken on skewers, and rice.

During lunch time the restaurant had a long queue and it was noisy and busy. In the evening it was quieter, however, it is advisable to book a table. There are few good Vietnamese restaurants in Amsterdam, the location and menu makes this place really popular. I would advise ordering for home delivery just to save the hassle of eating in the middle of such din.

I will be reviewing all the new eating joints in Gelderlandplein so keep a look out for that and in the meantime don’t pho-rget to stop and smell the roses. Ok, I will leave now.